A Soldier's Code and A Schoolgirl's Values
by A Lucky Soldier
Summary: After dealing with the rest of her classmates, Mukuro Ikusaba has troubles dealing with the last remaining one: Her best friend, her love, her hope: Makoto Naegi. DR:IF AU
1. The first injury and the first defeat

Author's notes: Hey FFNET readers! I'd just like to say that this one has been out for a long time on AO3 and I upload my stories there first vs here. Also, when I transfer them over here, the formatting gets screwed over so it might not provide the same reading experience as when you read it over at AO3 so, I'd recommend you guys to go there instead. (I still upload here although, slower and later than the other site.)

Additional Tags: Naekusaba, Loyalty, Betrayal, Angst, Memory, Uncertainty, Mentions of Other Characters

A Soldier's Code and A Schoolgirl's Values

It was a quiet night at Hope's Peak Academy. The lights illuminating the hallways failed to find the shadows of its inhabitants that once attended the crowded and lively school, all with the exception of one person.

Mukuro Ikusaba stood outside the door to Makoto Naegi's room with a heavy feeling down in her heart. She wore her usual uniform: a white dress shirt and skirt with the addition of a tactical vest on top, her usual combat gloves, and combat boots below. She held her fist an inch off the door, unable to proceed as the uncomfortable feeling boiled inside of her.

It was a rather simple mission assigned by Junko: Isolate the fourteen targets, inject them with the serum and move onto the next phase. Or at least, that was as close to a mission briefing that Mukuro could make out of Junko's antics.

Her mission so far, had been flawless. Mukuro had lured every other classmate of hers to their designated locations and had successfully injected the serum into them while they had their guard down. The serum was designed to both knock out a target and erase their memories at the same time. It was rather a rather efficient drug as it only required a few hours to erase two years' worth of memories. Junko has adjusted the dosages of each syringe she has given Mukuro so that all of her classmates would wake up at the same time. Although, some of them, mainly the tougher ones, didn't go down as smoothly as she had wanted.

Mondo swore and attempted to turn around before tripping on his feet and blacking out, both Ishimaru and Aoi managed to stumble a couple paces and gave Mukuro a shocked expression before dropping, and Sakura needed an extra tranquilizer to put her out. Kyouko immediately collapsed to the floor as Junko reserved a special one for her and everyone else went down without a hitch. She carried out her orders without hesitation or remorse as the rest of her classmates are now lying unconscious in various locations across the first floor of the school.

But now, Mukuro found herself hesitating in front of Makoto Naegi's door, her final target. While Junko has promised that Makoto would be spared from the killing game, Mukuro still didn't like the idea of having him participating. She didn't even want him to be part of the game in the first place but Junko said it would bring her great despair. She said despair was supposed to feel good, and Mukuro has seen this first hand multiple times with Junko. If it was such a good feeling, why hasn't she experienced it yet?

*Knock Knock*

Mukuro took a deep breath as her hand returned to her side. It was starting to get late, and she just wanted to get this over with so the uncomfortable feeling inside of her would fade away. Makoto should be her easiest target given his naive nature and yet, he was the only one to have stirred up this foreign feeling within her.

The door slowly opened and as the sight of the familiar brunette comes into sight, her original plan of quickly knocking him out and injecting him with the serum was quickly forgotten.

"M-Mukuro-san?"

She stiffened.

"Makoto-kun."

"Ahh… I guess I'm a little surprised that you came to visit me haha…. Would you like to come inside?" He smiled.

Mukuro's heart grew heavier as more and more, she realized that she didn't want to do this to him. It's only knowing that Junko would never forgive her, that she hasn't decided to back out yet.

"Actually Makoto-kun, I would like to discuss some things in classroom 1-A."

"Oh.. Alright! Give me a quick minute, I just need to put something away!"

Mukuro nodded as he went back inside. She bit her lip as she realized she missed another opportunity to knock him out. The discomfort inside of her seemed to rage harder every time she thinks about doing this to Makoto. She quickly glanced at her watch. There were seven more minutes until she could administer the drug and Junko should still be having her fun with the headmaster right now.

"Time is running short. I need to make this quick later…" She thought.

The door opened again as Makoto came out, ready to go.

"Alright Mukuro-san, let's go!" He cheerfully beamed.

Mukuro nodded as they proceeded to walk in silence towards the target location. She frowned a bit as the walk brought back memories of their school life. The first time Makoto had smiled at her, the many times that she had to save him from his luck, and those rare times where his life was actually in danger. She remembered the times he'd try to repay her for saving him, the times he would simply smile at her and the times he would invite her to hangout alone.

She remembered the time Makoto finally confessed his feelings for her after Yasuhiro almost got both of them killed. She remembered the first kiss they shared in his room and his surprised expression that painted his face when she pressed her lips into his. Mukuro barely registered the concerned voice of her lover calling out to her as she relived those memories.

"Mukuro-san? Mukuro?"

"Hmm?"

"Is something wrong? You seem spaced out for a second.."

"It's nothing Makoto-kun. I was just thinking."

Makoto then slid his hand into hers. Mukuro turned her head to the sudden contact only to be met with his usual smile, and a reassuring squeeze on her hand. She returned with a half smile as the for the moment, the discomfort inside her seemed to have calmed down.

Mukuro suddenly stopped as they arrived outside the target location. As Makoto entered the classroom, she followed and locked the doors without him noticing. He sat on top of a nearby desk and watched as Mukuro leaned against the door, uncertainty written all over her face.

"So Mukuro-san... what was it you wanted to talk about?"

She took a breath as she pondered about what to say. Initially, she had wanted to see how Makoto would react to knowing that Junko orchestrated the Tragedy and that she helped her with it. However, it felt wrong to start with start with that question, so she opted for a more subtle approach.

"Makoto-kun…. Do… do you think that.. spending the rest of our lives here was a good idea?"

"Is this what you wanted to talk about? Well…. Given what's going on outside, I'd say it was a reasonable decision. Although, I'm still worried about my family out there."

Mukuro cast her gaze to the floor, knowing that by now, his family should have been captured and moved to Towa City, where they kept everyone's relatives as potential murder motives. She has never met his parents, and only met his sister once. Even then, that one encounter has left Mukuro feeling a little guilty with endangering her life.

"Do you… think the world will return to normal?"

"Of course it will! I'm sure that as long as we don't give up, we can restore the world back to normal!"

It pained Mukuro that Makoto had no idea what was going to happen to him in the next few minutes. She knew that despite Junko promising to spare him from the killing, the world wasn't going to return to normal. Not as long as Junko was still around. It especially hurt knowing that she was torn between the two people she cared for the most. Mukuro had to choose between Junko's world of despair, or Makoto's world of hope. She had already abandoned Junko once, and had swore as a sister to not abandon her again. However right now, the decision to choose between two people has never been harder in her life. She stayed silent as she continued to stare at the wooden floor and tried her best to hide her distress from him. Suddenly, a pair of shoes came into sight and Mukuro snapped her head up only to see Makoto, his face filled with concern.

"Is..Is something wrong Mukuro? You don't look convinced."

"I – I was just thinking of my old comrades in Fenrir." She lied.

"I'm sure they're fine Mukuro-san. They are famous for being the best in the world. You of all people should know that." He said with a reassuring smile.

She returned the gesture with a half smile before looking away once again. Mukuro knows that at this point, they likely would have succumbed to the despair propaganda and are just mindless killing machines now. She pictured some of her old comrades slaughtering anyone in their sights, including each other. While they were somewhere across the world, she is sure that the infamous mercenary group known as Fenrir was soon to be no more.

The two entered a somewhat uncomfortable silence. Makoto was now standing beside Mukuro, leaning against the door as well. She formed a fist with one hand as the weight of her actions slowly settled in. She has never felt anything while Junko and her orchestrated the Tragedy. She never cared about the killing of the student council, the brainwashing of the 77th class and the mass suicide of the reserve course. She never gave a second thought to the despair that ravaged the world, or the concerns of the class when several of their upper-classmen "disappeared", at least, not until she found out how horrified Makoto had reacted to everything.

Mukuro always knew that Makoto had disliked the idea of killing others, and when he found out about the student council and the disappearances of several upper-classmen, he was horrified. The idea of the council killing each other alone has left him in tears as the pain of friends killing each other stabbed at him, and that was just the beginning of the tragedy. He was furious that someone or something had forced the innocent students to murder each other and also felt guilty on his part for not having potentially done something to prevent it. His reaction has left a scar of guilt within Mukuro, as she had a hand in setting up the first mutual killing game. Surely, Makoto would look at her differently if he found out right?

She looked at her watch again. She was now late by five minutes. She looked over to Makoto with an obligating curiosity to know how he would react to the crimes she had done. Her heart slowly sank deeper as she prepared herself to ask the questions.

"Makoto-kun…"

"Ah! Yes?"

Mukuro's hands bawled into fists as she began.

"The tragedy that's happening, the despair outside…. D-Do you think there's a mastermind out there?"

"You…You're not going to go look for one are you?"

"N-No. But how would you feel, i-if you knew there was a mastermind behind all this?"

"Hmm…. Well, I'd be really mad knowing that there was a single person responsible for all this needless killing…."

Mukuro stiffened.

"… But I would also want to understand why they did this. There has to be a reason."

Her brows furrowed at his answer. He really didn't grasp the concept of despair, but she was also surprised by his answer. While knowing that good-nature was part of Makoto himself, she wasn't expecting him to continue showing that side of him considering everything that happened.

"You've seen it first hand Makoto-kun. There is no logical reason for despair, it just… happens."

"Then I would want to save the mastermind of course. I'm sure that even they must have some form of hope."

"You're….too kind Makoto… Junko would kill you for that.." Mukuro thought. She bit her lips and fought back the tears that threatened to flow out from that thought.

"Then, what if….. the mastermind… was one of us?"

"Wha… HUH? Where is coming from Mukuro?"

"I – Just answer the question…. Please.." She gritted her teeth as she awaited his next answer.

"Erm… Okay…. Uh.. I guess.. I would feel betrayed… and still be upset... But I would still want to save them. After all, we're all friends."

Mukuro again, was surprised by his answer. She never anticipated that even with the betrayal of a close friend, Makoto would still try to help them. There has to be some kind of limit to his good nature. Perhaps it was part of his naïve optimism.

She felt herself fighting a losing battle against the tears that threatened to flow out as she glanced at her watch again. Ten minutes late. If she injected Makoto with the serum now, he would wake up ten minutes later than everyone else. Junko wouldn't be happy, but there was still one more question she needed to ask. It was getting extremely difficult to continue, as part of her doesn't want to hear the answer to the next question, but another part of her needed to confirm his feelings. With a shaky breath, she forced herself to continue:

"Makoto-kun…. W-would you….hate me If I played a part in all this?"

"M-Mukuro! W-Why are you asking this?"

"I – I'm just curious of….. what you think about this Makoto…."

"Look Mukuro, you can just tell me what's wrong! I'll keep it a secret! Promise!"

He placed his hand on her shoulder as he tried to look her in the eyes. However, her blue irises refused to meet his as she needed closure on this issue that has been causing her so much agony.

"… I'll tell you after your answer."

"M-Mukuro I…"

He grabbed both of her fists and held them in his hands as he spoke

"I don't think you're the kind of person to do any of this Mukuro…. You may have killed before as a mercenary, but I cannot see that you would do this without reason… you're just not that kind of person! A-and if you were the mastermind…. I would want to save you too… I don't think it's ever too late to turn back…"

Mukuro closed her eyes as the words hit her, the tears she's been holding back finally started to flow out. She removed her hands from Makoto's and turned away, a feeble attempt to hide the fact that she was crying.

"Mukuro!" He cried in concern. He took a step forward but quickly stopped when he noticed that she took out a syringe from her vest.

"…. I'm sorry Makoto…." She said in a broken voice.

"M-Mukuro? W-What is that? Talk to me…. Please!"

"….I'm sorry Makoto…. I can't… disappoint Junko again…."

"What? W-What does Enoshima-san have to do with this?"

"Makoto…. The killings, the despair, we….. we're the masterminds."

Makoto's eyes widened at the sudden confession. He froze as he tried to process that Junko and Mukuro had started this worldwide despair, this hopeless tragedy. Mukuro turned around, tears flowing from her eyes as she watched Makoto desperately trying to prove her wrong.

"Mukuro… you… that… that's impossible…. Right?"

"I'm sorry Makoto…." She started to approach him with the syringe in hand. Out of fear, Makoto finally broke out of his stupor, and started shuffling backwards.

"M-Mukuro! W-What are you doing? W-Why?"

Mukuro paused as the question hit her. She had to admit that she didn't care about despair, but she had her orders, and disappointing Junko again was not an option. She took a breath to compose herself as she started explaining

"Junko wants to bring despair to the world…. She wants the despair of watching her classmates kill each other…"

Makoto could only stare in horror as he realized this wasn't a joke anymore.

"What?"

"This serum will wipe your memories of the last two years. You will forget that you have ever attended here, waking up to believe it was your first day. Then, out of fear and distrust, Junko will find ways to make you kill each other."

"I don't want to forget you though! You wouldn't want that either!"

"T-There was no other way to spare you from everything Makoto... I did what I could..."

"I...B-But... Why?"

"Like I said, there is no logical reason for despair, and for Junko, it is what defines her as Junko Enoshima."

"B-But why are you doing this?"

"I promised to never leave her side again Makoto... and she also promised that you would be spared from the killing. It is the best I could have done..."

"I… I refuse to believe this! T-There's no way you would do something like this!"

"I – Sorry Makoto, this is for Junko… I-I can't disappoint her again…"

As those words left her lips, Mukuro rushed at Makoto who has now backed into a corner of the classroom. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pressed his body against her as if he would disappear if he slipped out. She closed her eyes, her other hand positioned the needle behind is neck and her tears started falling as soon, Makoto would forget her entire existence. Her only hope in this world was about to abandon her.

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Makoto couldn't move as he's held in the hard grip of the soldier, but he knew one thing: He was still conscious, meaning that there's still hope that he can talk her out of this. He could feel her entire body shaking as she held him against her. It was strangely reminiscent of one of the times where he almost tripped down the stairs and Mukuro held him in a similar way.

"M-Mukuro…"

As she heard her name, she realized that she was still holding the needle just off his skin. She grit her teeth she tried to force her hand to press the syringe into his neck, but instead of complying, her hand just shook more. Underneath her combat gloves, her knuckles glowed white as her grip on the needle tightened in an attempt to regain control and yet, for some unknown reason, she couldn't bring herself to do it. The soldier side of her grew frustrated as she still had not completed her objective, but the other side of her seemed to have taken control of her entire body. She shut her eyes as she tried to find a solution to the conflict inside.

Sensing that Mukuro still hasn't stabbed him yet, he decided to take his chance. He took a breath as he searched for the right words to hopefully convince her to reconsider.

"Mukuro…. I.. I don't know what have you done, but if what you said was true, then it can't be helped."

 _"I… I didn't know you would be involved…."_

"But… I know that you don't want this Mukuro…."

 _"Junko said this was supposed to feel good…."_

"The fact that you're hesitating now… the fact that you still haven't stabbed me with it…."

 _"I… didn't hesitate with all the others…"_

"…Means that there's still a part of you who wants out…"

 _"Orders can't be disobeyed... Makoto…"_

"You can still turn back Mukuro…. We can still fix this…"

 _"Junko would never forgive me but… I…"_

"Mukuro… It's not too late…"

 _"Why? Why is everything so…. Difficult when it comes to you and Junko?"_

"Please Mukuro…. I don't want to forget you…. I..I need you.."

 _"This is what Junko wanted… She promised to spare him"_

"… I'm sorry Makoto!"

"Wha—HMPH"

She pressed her lips into his and at the same time, her hand finally drove the needle into his neck. Her tears fell onto his face and the ground as his eyes widened at the sudden intrusion, feeling the liquid slowly pour into him. He struggled against her hold as the serum began to take effect inside his body. Completing her objectives were supposed to bring a sense of victory, but why did it feel like defeat? His legs slowly started to give out, and Mukuro broke the kiss to look at him. His eyes were desperately blinking and looking around in a struggle to stay awake. When he finally dropped to the floor, she cradled his body and cried out on the floor as agony overwhelmed her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She kept repeating as the boy in her arms slowly lost consciousness.

"Muku…ro…please... you…. Can still…turn….."

 _"Back."_ Mukuro finished in her head as he finally closed his eyes. She held his head against her chest as his memories are slowly being erased. The thought of him forgetting her existence only brought more despair to the soldier as she continued howling in anguish, holding the only other person she cared for in her arms.

Mukuro has never suffered an injury in all her battles as a soldier, but this would definitely her first. The pain her heart felt, the guilt and regret that's clouding her head, and the despair of her love completely forgetting everything they have done together was worse than any injury she could have suffered from her time in Fenrir.

 _"This…. This feeling… This has to be despair right Junko? Why then….. Why does it feel so horrible? I.. don't like this Junko…"_

When Mukuro finally calmed herself enough to regain her senses, she looked at her watch again. Twenty minutes past the time from when she was originally supposed to have completed her objective. Junko should be finishing up with the headmaster's execution, and Makoto would be waking up twenty minutes later than everyone else.

She picked up the unconscious boy in a bridal carry and walked towards the desk that Makoto always sat in. She gently eased him into his chair, folding his arms onto the desk and resting his head onto them. The sight of Makoto asleep in his seat, somewhere lost in his own world as his memories are taken from him has caused the tears that she thought were no longer possible to start falling again.

"I'm so sorry.." She whispered.

She knelt down to his level and ran a hand through his hair as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. She pressed her face against his and for the last time, pressed a kiss onto his forehead before preparing herself for the next phase of the plan.

 _"Junko….. were you wrong about despair? I… I don't like this at all Junko….. But everything's going to be alright… I think…. You promised that Makoto would be spared from all this…. Yes… He will be safe…. Everything will be fine…."_

…

…

...

...

 _"But ... I don't want this at all..."_

...

...

...

...

Hours later, Makoto Naegi woke up in an empty classroom, wondering why his cheeks were rather itchy and why there was an oddly familiar scent that lingered in the air.


	2. The Things Just out of Reach

_"How did this happen?"_ Makoto thought to himself as he walked down the halls of Hope's Peak Academy. He recalled the events of the day so far: He remembered standing outside the front gates of the academy as he was nervous from entering such a prestigious school. He remembered that everything went into a blur as he stepped in and the next thing he knew was that he woke up in an empty classroom.

He remembered his cheeks were also oddly itchy, as if he had been crying and left the tears to dry on his face. There was a scent in the classroom too, and it was a strangely familiar one. Despite his panic at the time that he might have fallen asleep during class, it made him feel more relaxed but also think that something was missing. He put that thought on hold as he continued to recount the events of the day, trying to make sense why this was happening.

He recalled making his way back to the entrance lobby, where fourteen other students were also there, all claiming that they had also experienced something similar to him. Except the itchy cheeks and the smell of course. Aside from two people, no one else seemed to have piqued Makoto's interest during their introductions.

The first was Sayaka Maizono, a popular girl from his middle-school. He was surprised that she even remembered him since they barely interacted with each other. She immediately recognized him as soon as he entered the entrance hall and was quick to greet him. However, their reunion was cut short by Kiyotaka as he insisted that they can talk later.

The other person, and the last person Makoto introduced himself to was Junko Enoshima. While he has never been acquainted with her, he has seen her in some magazine covers every now and then. However, despite never meeting her in person, there was an odd feeling of familiarity that emanated from her.

"Hey There~! What's your name?"

"Oh, my name's Makoto Naegi, SHSL Lucky Student. And you are…."

"The one and only Junko Enoshima! SHSL Fashionista!" She said and he thought at the same time.

 _"Huh? Did I just guess exactly what she would say?"_

"Hey! What're you staring at? I know I'm a model and all but it's a bit rude to stare ya know?"

"Ah! I'm sorry! I… just thought you looked a little different than I imagined.."

 _"Junko Enoshima….? Why does that seem off?"_

"Oh. You must be talking about my cover photos and junk. Yea those? They're photoshopped to hell and back."

"Photoshopped?"

"You know, edited by computers and junk. They make your skin seem all smooth and make certain proportions bigger if you know what I mean~" She winked.

 _"Well…. That just destroyed the modelling industry for me. But… She must've had a lot of edits to make her the way she is on those cover photos.. is that even modelling anymore?"_

"I-I see… I didn't know that haha. I'm not sure if you're supposed to tell me that though."

"Oh it'll be fine. Everyone in the industry knows this anyways, so one more person can't hurt."

 _"I'm speaking to Junko….. but why does it feel like I'm talking to someone else?"_

Before they could have continued their conversation, their 'headmaster' has called everyone into the gymnasium for their entrance ceremony. And this next part was what Makoto struggled to make sense of. It was so unexpected, and there was so much going on that he was still struggling to process everything. The headmaster as a monochrome bear, spending the rest of their lives here at Hope's Peak Academy, the graduation clause, rules and restrictions, punishments, it was all too much to take in at the time. And everyone except for Yasuhiro realized this was no joke when Mondo nearly had his hand blown off.

The graduation clause has caused a wave of anarchy and distrust through the students, several of which were quick to be defensive. Then, Makoto found himself trying to prevent a conflict between Mondo and Byakuya. However, his efforts were futile as Mondo only grew more infuriated and threatened him to get out of the way. He only raised his arms defensively and closed his eyes as the biker threw a fist towards him.

However, the impact of the fist meeting his face never happened. Confused that he was still in one piece, he lowered his arms and peeked out. He was shocked that Junko had placed herself in between himself and Mondo, his fist frozen a few inches from her face.

"Wh-What the? You wanna get hit girl?"

"Hey back off alright? It's already hard to make sense of what's happening and here you are about to deck this innocent kid!"

"Get out of the way, don't tell me what to do!"

"What, you're going to hit me then?"

"RRGH.. FUCK! FINE! Do whatever you guys want then."

"Jeez. What a hot-head."

"E-Enoshima-san?"

"Oh hey! You alright there Naegi-kun? Sorry if I scared you, but I just can't stand defenseless people like you getting hurt!"

"I…er… thanks Enoshima-san."

"Ah don't sweat it! It was nothing!"

As Byakuya and Mondo stormed off, the rest of the students decided to search the school for clues before reconvening in the cafeteria later. Most of them split up to search the school with the exception of Aoi and Sakura, who decided to be partners. Sayaka immediately asked Makoto to explore together. They found several coins with Monokuma's face on it, retrieved a golden sword for his self-defence, and also took the chance to catch up with each other.

The meeting in the cafeteria at night went much more smoothly than the ruckus that had happened in the gym. Mondo apologized for his brash behaviour and Kiyotaka took charge of leading the discussion. By the end of the meeting, all fifteen students had agreed with Celeste's nighttime restriction when the nighttime announcement was made.

Makoto stopped in front of his room. The rest of the students have already entered their rooms and he had just wished Sayaka good night. He also found himself instinctively looking down the hall, particularly towards Junko's door.

 _"Why am I so drawn towards her? It's not her talent that's getting to me is it?"_

Shaking his head, he entered his room, took a shower and quickly went to bed.

An hour later, Makoto now found himself rolling around on his bed unable to sleep. He kept finding his thoughts drifting to both Sayaka and Junko. He couldn't stop thinking of Sayaka because, even though they barely interacted throughout middle school, he couldn't deny that the first time he had ever crushed on someone was with her. And now that they were stuck in this peculiar situation, those feelings have resurfaced, causing Makoto to feel uncomfortable in both an amorous and guilty sense.

 _"...Guilty?..."_

Makoto stopped rolling and started staring at the ceiling. He was confused as he thought about his inability to sleep. It made sense for him to feel a little giddy when thinking about Sayaka, but why guilty? There didn't seem to be anything to be guilty of.

He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, searching for the reason of guilt until a blurry silhouette with no distinguishable features entered his mind. He couldn't identify the shadow, but every inch of his body seemed to be familiar with the image for a reason that seemed to be just out of reach. Makoto only felt himself get more irritated and tired from grasping for answers as he continued rolling on his bed, unable to sleep.

Suddenly, the figure took the silhouette of Junko Enoshima for a split-second before returning to its original unidentifiable appearance. This only confused him more as certain feelings throughout the day came flooding back towards him: The sense of safety when in danger, the sense of trust in uncertainty and the sense of familiarity despite being strangers with Junko all made him more tired from figuring it out. Makoto shifted in his bed again, rolling over to his side for the nth time as his brain desperately fought between getting rest and looking for answers.

 _"Junko Enoshima? … Who….. Are you?"_

That was the last question that lingered in his thoughts before exhaustion set in and Makoto finally drifted off into slumber.

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"I'm sorry Junko."

Mukuro stood at attention in her room facing the monochrome bear as if it was her commanding officer. Despite the appearance of a bear, the voice emanating from the speaker belonged to a very disappointed girl.

"STOP FUCKING APOLOGIZING! UGH… it's so pathetic! You just HAD to step in and ruin my entertainment!"

"Junko I—"

"NO! SHUT IT! I don't wanna hear it! *Siiiiiigghh* What am I going to do? It was getting exciting and you just had to interrupt it! You and your disgusting hope boy!"

"…"

"DON'T DOT-DOT-DOT ME! Because of YOU, now I gotta kick start things a little sooner than planned! Fucking disappointment!"

"Y-You mean the motives?"

"WHAT ELSE CAN IT BE? USE YOUR BRAIN FOR ONCE!"

"Yes Junko."

"*Siggh* OK. JUST so you don't fuck up again tomorrow, I'm rolling out the DVDs, and you better rehearse those lines for later in the afternoon. OH and IF anyone starts something, DON'T FUCKING INTERFERE THIS TIME."

"Yes Junko, I'm –"

"AAAGGHGHH! FUCK IT! I DON'T CARE ANYMORE! I'M OUT OF HERE!"

On that note, Monokuma disappeared from her room, leaving Mukuro alone. She sighed as she took off her wig and laid on her bed, slightly exhausted from dealing with her sister. Whenever Junko started her antics, it always wore Mukuro out more than her combat missions. She closed her eyes and let sleep temporarily relieve her of her exhaustion. She could hear the faint laughter of her sister as she slowly let the darkness take her.

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Mukuro woke up not in her bed, but on the cold floor of what seems to be an unused trial room. There were no lights in the room, but she could feel the presence of another person nearby.

 _"Faint breaths… person could be conscious….. but more likely not… hmm… seems to be across the room.."_

She cautiously walked forward in the darkness, towards the other person. When she felt that she was around halfway there, the lights lit up the room and Mukuro froze. The other person was hunched over on a chair, his hands tied behind his back and he wore a Monokuma face mask. Although the mask concealed the person's facial features, Mukuro was still able to identify him: Makoto Naegi.

Mukuro quickly assessed him, looking for obvious injuries. She was surprised when she didn't find any, but instead, noticed that Makoto seemed to have a better build than his usual self, almost like a soldier. Suddenly, a familiar voice boomed onto the speakers.

"Oh hey there sis! You finally woke up! Do you like the present I have for you?"

"J-Junko? Wha-What's going on?"

"Oh nothing! I just wanted to show you some despair! So I went ahead and gave your boyfriend some enhancements for this special date! You should be thanking me!"

"E-Enhancements? What?"

A pair of Monokuma bots popped up and waddled over to Makoto's limp body, one freed him of his constraints and the other injected him with a strange needle.

"Wait! What are you—"

"Aww don't worry sis! I'm making him exactly how you want him! Didn't you always wish he was more like you?"

Mukuro watched in horror as Makoto's body jerked to life, causing the face mask to fall to the floor and the hazel eyes she once learned to love has turned crimson red. She watched as he fell to his hands and knees, screaming in pain as the serum swept through his body. He shook and coughed out some blood, but in the moment, was able to look up at the figure in front of him.

" *pant pant* M-Mukuro?" He said questioningly. It seemed more as if he didn't recognize her than he was trying to acknowledge her presence. His voice also sounded off.

"Makoto? Are you all right?"

"Hey! Don't get too lovey-dovey yet! We're just getting to the good part!"

Mukuro turned her head to the large TV in the room and looked at Junko in confusion.

"Here sis, it's your favourite toy!"

Junko pushed a button off screen and two pairs of tactical combat knives dropped from the ceiling, one pair landed in front of Mukuro and the other in front of Makoto.

"This is the final round of the killing game! Since it's impossible to hold a trial with two people, we're going to go with the good old deathmatch!"

Mukuro stared at the knives in disbelief. Did she just hear her sister wrong?

"Wha-? Deathmatch? Why?"

"You heard me! Only one of you two are going to get out of here alive! After all, there can only be one graduate to Hope's Peak Academy!"

"But you promised! You promised tha—"

"That I'd spare him from the killing? Oh I'm sorry Mukuro, I **lied**."

Anger started bubbling within Mukuro. Instinctively, she propped up one knife with her foot, grabbed it and flung it towards the TV, creating a large crack on the display where Junko's throat was.

Just as she was about to do the same with the other, she barely registered the blur of motion to her right and instead of throwing the knife, she parried the attack and leaped backwards defensively. Mukuro again, stared in disbelief as she registered her attacker as Makoto Naegi, now wielding both knives in a proper fighting stance.

"M-Makoto?"

"If I were you sis, I'd worry more about myself than the fact that I just got betrayed by my younger sister who's better in every single way!"

"What. Did. You. Do to him?"

"Oh? This is the first time I've seen you this angry since childhood Mukuro. *giggle* Alright! Since it might be the last time I see you, I'll tell you. It's simple. I just gave him talent, the same way Izuru Kamukura received his. Oh and just in case you're wondering which talent he got, it's the same as yours."

Mukuro didn't get a chance to respond as Makoto lunged at her again.

"Also, I kinda drugged him as well so he'd listen to my every command. Now, you two better make things interesting! Otherwise the viewers and I are going to be very bored and very very disappointed! Oh and one more thing, have fun~!"

The screen went blank and the rest of the lights in the room lit up, providing full visibility to the two combatants. Mukuro was still trying to make sense of what is happening as she defends herself from Makoto's onslaught.

 _"Why… Why him?"_

She looked at him as he took another swing, his face expressionless like Izuru's and his eyes no longer full of life. Mukuro couldn't find the will to retaliate as she continues her defence.

 _"This.. this can't be him can it? There's no way he can ever fight like this.."_ She thought as she parried another swing.

In the moment of that thought, she noticed his right hand a split-second too late, the blade just gliding over the sleeve of her left arm, leaving a huge hole in the fabric. Mukuro took this opportunity to kick off the ground and grab her other knife embedded on the TV and at the same time, spacing herself from her opponent.

 _"He… he has to be a fake. He can't grow that fast… also.. Junko promised!"_

He rushed at her again, and this time she parried the attack and prepared a counter attack. However, her blade stopped two inches short of his neck. Before she could start thinking why, Mukuro rolled to the left, narrowly avoiding another swing from him.

 _"That's…!"_

This time, Mukuro rushed towards him. She managed to knock one of his knives away and in the moment, aimed for the kill. However, just as before, her blade stopped two inches short of the temple and she had to dodge out of another counter attack.

 _"Has he lost his mind?"_

When Mukuro had posed herself again, her opponent had already retrieved his knife and is ready for another round. She decided to attack him again, this time managing to knock him to the floor. She was expecting a block as she prepared to stab him, but instead, his knife flew towards her as well.

 _"What the.."_ She thought as she abandoned her attack to kick herself off of him and again, the stage has been reset.

 _"He's…. aiming for a double KO?"_

Again and again, one attacked the other. The only sounds that echoed in the room were the clanging of blades and shuffling of body movement. Each time the two soldiers clashed, it always ended with up with both knives almost reaching their target, Mukuro abandoning the attack every time.

 _"He's fighting as if…. He doesn't care about himself…"_ She thought as she spaced herself. However, in that moment, she also realized something. Only Junko would think of doing something like this. She must have commanded him to aim for a double KO. After all, the only openings she were able to find were the times he didn't opt to defend himself, but to bring her down with him.

 _"So…. There seems to be no other way… I'm sorry Makoto…"_

Mukuro stepped in with a low approach, avoiding a high swing from her opponent and prepared to strike a vital point. As she expected, he made no effort to avoid the incoming stab, but instead, opted to strike her head. Time slowed down as both knives slowly approached their targets. Mukuro's soldier instincts were practically screaming at her to dodge the attack coming from the side, and it took her entire focus to ignore it for once. Maybe she'd regret it later, but she saw no other way out.

She closed her eyes as she prepared for the contact of blade to flesh, a single tear rolled out of her eyes as she saw her entire relationship flash through her mind. Mukuro did her best to make peace with herself as she began to feel her blade enter his body, and at the same time, also preparing for his to end her life. A cry of pain and the dripping of blood were the only sounds that echoed in the trial room in the next instance.

…

…

…

"M-Mukuro?" A weak voice called out.

…..

?

!

Mukuro's eyes snapped open. That was a voice she shouldn't be able to hear. She remembered her knife hitting her target, and expected his to stab into her temple the split second after. However, as she stood there, still clutching onto the knife embedded in his torso, she now noticed that instead of the sharp metal blade that should have pierced her skull, she felt the blunt texture of the polymer handle pressed against her left temple instead. Her mouth opened in shock as she realized that her opponent must have switched to a reverse grip in the last second, which also made his "attack" arrive slightly later than hers.

Mukuro looked up, wondering what had led to this conclusion. However, she let go of her knife in a stupor and took a step back as she saw that her assailant from earlier had been replaced with Makoto himself, his right eye no longer bearing the crimson red that controlled him. He managed a weak smile as he lowered his arms and dropped his knives, his eyes blinking rapidly in an attempt maintain balance and consciousness. Makoto took a step forward before falling onto Mukuro, her arms awkwardly holding him out of instinct as she is still processing what she had just done.

 _"I promise if I ever decide to kill someone, I'll make sure it's not you!"_

The voice of a promise played in her head over and over while she held the one she promised not to kill. Mukuro fell to her knees, clutching onto the boy she promised with tears streaming down her eyes. This was the second time she had "ended" his life for the sake of her sister, and this time around, the pain was far worse than before. For the second time in her life, she let out a cry of despair, her anguish echoing throughout the empty academy, and her sister bathing in ecstasy as she took in every second of it.

Both Makoto and Junko were talking, but Mukuro wasn't having any of it. She didn't care about the voice that was trembling below her or the one that boomed throughout the trial room. All she wanted, was the boy in her arms to stay with her.

"M-Mukuro please…"  
"Well well well! That was a splendid ending! Even I didn't foresee Makoto breaking free of the mind control! Good job you two! You guys didn't disappoint for once!"  
 _"No, no, no. Shut up!"_

"… get out… while you still can…"  
"But then, that mind control bullshit was never perfect anyways. It would've been too easy and boring if it was."  
 _"Stop it! Stop talking! Don't you realize.."_

"…. Mukuro… snap out… of this…"  
"So Mukuro, how are you feeling right now? Are you thinking 'ARRGH! Fuck this sister of mine! She's a back stabbing bitch!' or 'Oh no! Don't die on me! Pleeeassee!' UGH, probably the latter… you're sooo predictable."  
 _"… how little time you have if you keep talking?"_

"… There's… still… hope…"  
"Oh by the way sis, there's one more thing I forgot to mention. Remember how I said there can only be one graduate to Hope's Peak Academy? Well, I'm still here."  
 _"Stop talking Makoto! Please!"_

"…you.. need to … get out.. Mukuro.."  
"Really? You're just going to ignore me? Well.. figures. I guess even tools can be broken. Now then, lets give it everything we got! It's punishment time!"  
 _"Just stay with me Makoto! Just… a little while longer…"_

Mukuro continued holding onto Makoto, blocking out everything else that didn't matter. He had stopped talking by the time the automated turrets in the room slowly unfolded from the roof but Mukuro didn't care.

She didn't care that there were now eight turrets in the room that now pointed their barrels at her. She didn't care that her death and the last of the world's hope was about to be wiped off the planet. She didn't care that her sister was wallowing in an euphoric state from her situation. No. All she wanted, was just to be happy with Makoto.

She held his limp body tighter with silent tears as Junko's words failed to reach her ears. She felt a faint stab at the heart as she barely registered the words "Good bye sis, I love you." However, those words quickly lost their value when the barrel of the turrets started spinning. Mukuro looked down onto Makoto's face one last time, taking in his peaceful expression as wave upon wave of lead rained down on her.

…

…

…

 _"Why has it come to this? When did things go wrong?"_

….

….

….

….

Mukuro shot upright in her bed with a scream, just before the familiar morning announcement was played. She clutched her chest with one hand while grabbing her sheets in the other as she tried to control her breathing and her racing heartbeat. When she looked around, she noticed the words _"Sleep well?"_ written on the wall in spare Monokuma claws.

Mukuro looked down at her hands that has slain countless number of lives, wondering if she could ever choose her sister over Makoto again. As she walked towards the door, the only thing going on in her head was a line from a character of a video game that Makoto played one time.

 _"Remember, your job is to save lives. Mine is to take em, got that?"_


	3. The Heart always finds its way back

The next day has been very unsettling for the fifteen students. Makoto stumbled around the school after escorting Sayaka back to her room, shaken from the DVD motive that Monokuma had presented. He was shaken himself as well since he was also very worried about where his family is or if anything had happened to them. He tried his best not to show his worry to the others to prevent further panic, but his honest nature rendered his efforts somewhat ineffective.

Makoto headed past the AV room towards the entrance hall again with a slight desperation to find a way out. However, as he rounded the corner, something within him nagged him to walk the other way. Not thinking entirely straight, he followed his instincts and instantly spun around, and for the second time, walked into another person. A groan of pain and a soft "oof" followed the sound of two bodies colliding.

"You need to be more careful in a place like this."

Makoto stopped rubbing his head and looked down at the voice below him.

"O-Oh! Sorry Kirigiri-san! Here." He extended his arm towards her.

Kyouko stared at his hand for a second before grabbing it with her own gloved one. Although Makoto eventually managed to pull her up, it required him to use both his arms and his weight to do so. Kyouko raised a brow in disbelief.

"Really?"

"Ahaha… I'll just ahh… chalk that up as unlucky…"

"Hmm..That's contradicting isn't it?"

"Erm… what?"

"Your talent. It would be wrong to say that the SHSL Lucky Student was actually quite unlucky."

"Well, my whole life has been a pattern of bad luck followed by good luck… I honestly don't know how that works though. Even on the day I was admitted to Hope's Peak, a lot of things happened that day."

"Hmm…" Kyouko took out a notebook and quickly wrote something down.

"Say, what's that for?"

"I'm not obligated to tell you."

"Ahh… well… I suppose you don't have to if it's private…"

Kyouko didn't reply and started walking away.

"H-Hey! Where are you going?"

His question caused her to stop, but she didn't turn around to face him.

"Why do I need to tell you?"

"Er.. Well… I suppose you can say I'm concerned about you? I noticed you're always doing things by yourself and I just thought having a friend around would kind of make things easier for you."

Kyouko stood silently for a second before turning around and crossing her arms, her face completely expressionless.

"You're too kind for your own good Naegi-Kun."

"Wha?…Er..Well…"

"You should be more careful with your trust. You won't know who's going to cross you in the future."

"But we shouldn't be killing each other! We should be –"

"I'm just saying that's a possibility you shouldn't ignore. After all, you wouldn't want to be the first victim, would you?"

Makoto couldn't find a reply to her words and he knew she was right, but it didn't mean he wanted to think that way. Sensing his silence, Kyouko turned around and began walking away again.

"Don't take it to heart though, you just haven't earned my trust yet. Farewell Naegi-Kun."

He wanted to follow her and ask how but the nagging feeling from earlier kept his feet rooted. Makoto felt both confusion and irritation as he turned to the source of the feeling: The School Store. It seemed to be calling to him the more he stared in its direction. Before Makoto could make sense of what's happening, he found himself right in front of the doors to the school store.

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Mukuro placed her hand on the glass counter, studying the individual items that were housed within. Her eyes were captured by a figure that resembled a mascot from one of Makoto's favourite video games. Pins and needles poked at her heart as she relived an embarrassing memory from the past.

 _"Hey Mukuro! You should try this game too! Its pretty fun, and you've been watching me play for a while now.."_

 _"I.. If you insist…"_

 _"….So umm… how does this work?"_

 _"Mukuro, you have to jump onto that platform, then jump onto the other one before it disappears!"_

 _"I'm trying!"_

 _"Jeez Mukuro, you're horrible at everything that's not a first person shooter!"_

 _"Sh-shut up! Its my first time okay?"_

 _"Ow! Okay! Alright! I'm sorry! We can do something else if you want!"_

 _"Hmph… alright."_

Mukuro's eyes continued to scan the items within the glass counter. There were toy bikes, a boxing glove key chain, a miniature rock band set, a monochrome deck of cards, all of which Junko had decided to put in the store to tease at the student's memories. Her eyes then fell onto the Monomono Machine that sat on top of the counter.

She didn't know exactly how it worked, but she knew how to operate it. It was one of the few things Junko had added to the school to make things less boring for the participants. All one had to do was to find some of the stray Monokuma tokens hidden around the school, insert it into the coin slot, and a random prize will come out.

Mukuro instinctively grabbed a coin from its hiding spot within the store and put it into the machine. After a couple clicks, a small black capsule containing her prize popped out. It turned out to be a small compact mirror.

 _"Useless."_ She thought as she opened it.

She looked into the mirror, her sister's face staring right back at her. The makeup taunted her, a reminder that she is just a plain girl amongst everyone else. She inspected every detail of the makeup on her face, all done to the specific instructions of her sister. The more she looked at herself, the more she hated it.

She looked down onto the back of her free hand, the tattoo that would reveal her identity to everyone else hidden by a thin layer of foundation. Despite being completely invisible to everyone else, Mukuro was still able to see the tattoo perfectly as if it wasn't covered at all. The eyes of the wolf stared back into her light blue eyes the same way a loyal dog would look back at its owner.

The tattoo raised many questions within the disguised soldier about herself. She wondered why she played a part in everything, her purpose, her reasons. While she had answers to those questions, it still didn't feel satisfactory for her; it wasn't complete.

Mukuro turned to look around the store. So much has changed in the old building's storage room since the Tragedy has happened and Junko decided to redecorate the place for the killing game. This room used to be Mukuro's favourite spot to cool off during the chaos of the Tragedy. No one would be able to disturb her since no one really wanted to be in the cramped storage room anyways, except for Makoto.

It happened by chance one day. While she was sitting on atop one of the many boxes in the room and a coin came rolling under the door towards the one she was on top. Makoto followed into the room shortly after, looking for the coin and after he figured that she was often in here alone, he would join her in silence, often falling asleep.

Mukuro liked the tightness of the storage room then. It was comfortable. It was as if she was in a trench or sitting behind some sandbags, taking cover from enemy fire. When Makoto joined her in the room, it felt better since he makes everything better for her, and it also reminded her of the presence of her comrades. She sighed as the nostalgia in the room made her feel more and more uncomfortable.

Suddenly, Mukuro noticed movement outside the doors across the room. She quickly reopened the compact mirror and leaned against the counter, taking a quick breath to return to her sister's persona. However, as the door clicked and slowly swung open, the person that Mukuro has last expected to see walked into the store.

"E-Enoshima-San?"

"O-Oh hey Naegi-Kun! What's up? What brings you here?"

"I.. I'm not sure to be honest… my legs just kind of carried me here.."

"That's a silly thought! Bet'cha came here 'cause you followed me didn't you~?"

"Wha—What? I—No! I swear! That isn't the case!"

"Really now? Are you saying I'm not good enough for your standards?"

"N-NO! That's not what I meant! You see, I—"

"Hehehe! You're so funny Naegi-Kun, I was just teasing you!~"

" *Sigh* So then.. What are you doing in the school shop?"

"Oh nothing. I just thought I might be able to find something useful in here considering it's a shop. And I did! Look at this!"

"That's a mirror… well I suppose it is useful for you. Where did you get that?"

"From this machine. That stupid bear popped up and told me that you needed to find these coins hidden around the school, then use it here. Apparently, it's got all sorts of stuff inside it."

"Huh. I suppose I'll give it a try."

"Who knows? With your luck as a talent, maybe you'll find us the escape switch or something."

"I.. really don't think whoever is behind this put that in there haha…"

Makoto proceeded to put a coin into the coin slot of the machine. Mukuro watched as the machine clicked a couple of times before producing a medium-sized golden capsule. When the lucky student opened it, Mukuro immediately recognized the prize. Out of all the possible objects one can get from the machine, this one was the only one without a duplicate; the fake escape button designed to give the winner false hope in the form of an electric shock. Makoto looked at his prize with a mix of surprise, confusion and disbelief.

"What the—N-No way!" He cried, nearly dropping the button in his surprise. Mukuro was also surprised that he has managed to get the one-of-a-kind prize out of the god knows how many Junko put in there.

"Wow! You know, I was joking when I was said it earlier but now, maybe you can really get us out of here!"

"I.. I don't know… I still don't think this is real…"

"Hey, aren't you the SHSL Lucky Student? Maybe your luck really worked out this time!"

"Well… you think?"

Makoto looked down at the button. It had a black rectangular body with a single red button in the centre, the word "escape" written under it in red text, and an antennae protruding out of the top side of the body. He hesitated to press the button as he palmed the controller in his hand. He looked over to he disguised soldier who has returned to looking at her mirror.

When she looked up and they met eyes, Makoto's body was overwhelmed in a feeling of familiarity, but he himself couldn't identify it. He felt a little bit sick when he looked down at her right hand, his body telling him something should be there, but his eyes told him otherwise. Makoto's brows furrowed in concentration as he searched for the missing link.

Mukuro watched him try to piece things together. It pained her to see him try so hard to reach the answer that's right in front of him, yet couldn't grasp it. She also knew that if he did figure it out, it could potentially compromise the entire killing game, something that would infuriate Junko. Figuring that it's best not to let that happen, she decided to speak up against her instincts.

"Hey hey! You're not checking me out are you~?

Makoto, caught by surprise again, attempted to defend himself; his arms waving wildly before him.

"WHAT? Er, Sort of? WAIT! I mean No! Not exactly! No wait… that's not helping…"

"I mean… you HAVE been looking for a while now"

"No! That's not it! Let me explain!"

"Ahahahaha! Oh my gosh Naegi-Kun! I'm just messing with you! I just didn't think I would be more interesting than the escape button you just managed to get."

"I—er.. oh right. The Button."

"So… what are you going to do?"

"Well.. I still think it's a fake… but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try… maybe my luck really did work out…"

Every bit of Mukuro was yelling at her to stop him as she watched as his finger slowly descend onto the red button. She had to actively concentrate just to resist the urge to smack the controller out of his hand.

 _"No wait, Makoto don't—"_ Mukuro couldn't finish her thought. The click of the button was heard, followed by a low buzzing sound and a scream of pain.

Makoto felt the electricity course through him. His muscles tensed up, which made him unable to drop the button. Along with the excruciating pain he was experiencing, his mind was also blasted with many different images and visions. Everything he saw was hazy. Blurred visions of a destroyed city, silhouettes and shadows of people rioting in the streets and clouded images of what seems to be a school.

However, in the midst of the images, he recognized one shadow out of the sea of silhouettes: A tall athletic girl with short black hair, wearing a tactical vest on top of a school uniform and donning a wolf tattoo on the back of her right hand. The figure had her back towards him, but the initials "IM" struck him in the face.

Mukuro watched as Makoto screamed in pain throughout the two seconds that he was being electrocuted. When he finally dropped the button, he started tilting forward to which Mukuro could no longer hold back her instincts. She wrapped her arms around his smaller body as he landed onto her.

"Mak—Naegi-Kun! Hey! Are you alright?"

"Nnn.. It… hurts…"

"Ok c'mon. Let's get you back to your room. You need some rest." Mukuro crouched a bit and slung one of his arms around her shoulder, supporting him as they made their way back to his room. They passed by a few of their classmates who had concerned looks on their faces, but Mukuro just told them he wasn't feeling well and needed some rest. They were just about to arrive at his room when someone came running down the hall.

"N-Naegi-Kun!" Sayaka cried as she ran towards the couple.

"M..Maizono-San?"

"Naegi-Kun, are you alright? What happened to you? What did you do to him?"

"H-Hey! I didn't do anything alright? I'm just helping him back to his room!"

"Maizono-San… it's alright…. It… it wasn't her fault…"

"Hmph. Fine. Here, get some rest alright? Come find me if anything happens."

Mukuro watched as Sayaka helped Makoto into his room. She knew that Sayaka had a small crush on him after their reunion at Hope's Peak, and it was only natural for it to resurface after erasing her memories. However, it pained her to see Makoto in the arms of another girl. _"I-Is this jealousy?"_ She thought as she watched Sayaka help Makoto into his room. _"He… He should be fine. I shouldn't let this affect me too much."_ She thought as she made her way back to her room.

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Makoto sat upright on his bed. It was well past the nighttime announcement, and he was trying to process everything he saw in the two seconds of excruciating pain. The images of destroyed cities and people rioting made him restless. It shouldn't be possible, yet it felt so real. He tried to sift through the images individually to the best of his memory. He recognized some familiar landmarks, but the rest were too blurry to recall. It also hurt a lot if he tried to grasp for the details that he couldn't make sense of.

He laid down onto his bed, needing a break from the pain and feeling exhausted from trying to make sense of these images. When he closed his eyes this time, he saw what appears to be the interior of some building. The floor had a checkboard texture to the tiles, there were two rooms side by side labelled 3-A and 3-B, and what appears to be a rec room of sorts based on the sign outside the door. Though he couldn't quite remember what the rest of the hallway contained, he was oddly certain that there was also an art room and a physics lab somewhere too.

Makoto took a breath and opened his eyes. He almost screamed when for a split second, he saw a face smiling back down on him. It was the same black haired girl that he recognized from the sea of shadows during his visions. This time however, he managed to see her face. Even though Makoto was certain he has never met this girl before, he was able to distinguish every feature of her appearance. He was able to recognize the freckles that dusted the bridge of her nose, the pale blue irises of her eyes, and her bobbed black hair. Everything about her was familiar.

Suddenly, his arms shot up towards his head due to a sudden intense migraine. Makoto rolled around his bed in an attempt to subdue the pain, all the while the girl remained clearly in his mind. The pain had no signs of stopping, draining all energy from the lucky student who has now stopped rolling around and instead, twitching and shivering in pain. Eventually, the cold darkness of the unconscious mind liberated him from his misery.

…

…

…

…

Makoto lazily opened his eyes, awakening to a sound that rang throughout his room. He sat up, one hand clutching his head for a couple seconds before realizing someone was ringing his doorbell. Despite feeling as if he had been drained of all energy, he managed to stumble towards his door with little thought about his security. _"Who.. Who's visiting … at this time?"_ He thought as he fumbled with the doorknob for a few seconds before managing to open his door. When he finally opened it, Makoto found himself facing Sayaka Maizono.

"M-Maizono-San?"

"Hey, I-I'm sorry for bothering you this late…"

"Wha…. What are you doing… at this time?"

"W-Well… Something weird happened and—Naegi-Kun? A-Are you alright?"

"Alright? I… I think I am…"

"Um… if I'm bothering you… I can come back another time…"

"It's… fine… just…. Hngh!" Makoto grabbed his head with both arms as the pain returned. His cries of pain has been substituted for panting due to his lack of energy.

"N-Naegi-Kun!" Sayaka cried as she stood there, clueless on how to help.

"I….. don't…. thieerrrgh….." He didn't finish as he collapsed onto the floor unconscious leaving Sayaka screaming alone in the hallway.

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Mukuro leaned into the chair beside the bed in the infirmary and sighed. She has been restless ever since the news of Makoto "falling ill" has reached her ears. Junko had opened up the infirmary to allow him to properly recover since she said it would be "unfair" if he were to die of "natural causes". She looked up at the clock. It has been a day and twelve minutes since the morning announcement and Makoto has yet to show signs of waking up. According to Sayaka, he looked like he was already in pain two nights prior. She could only imagine the amount of pain he had been in before he blacked out.

Makoto finally started shifting in the bed beside her. Mukuro stood up from her chair to allow him to see her more easily. She started waving with one hand and made a peace sign with the other.

"Oh hey! You're awake! How're you feeling? Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?"

"Nnnnn…. E-Enoshima-San?"

"Gee, you sound so unsure of yourself! I'm hurt!"

"O-Oh… I'm so—"

"Nah I'm just kidding with you! Jeez, you're so serious! I guess I gotta take it easy with you for now though."

Makoto looked around the room in an attempt to recognize his surroundings. The room gave off a hospital vibe, with three beds, medical cabinets and IV stands all around. Taking in everything he saw, he came to one conclusion.

"So… were we… rescued?"

 _"Of course, that's the first thing you would think Makoto. That's so like you."_ She thought.

"Psshh If only. After you went out, that stupid bear opened this place up saying it wouldn't be fair if you died before his game started."

"Oh…. That's unfortunate… Erm, actually, pardon my rudeness but… what are you doing here Enoshima-San?"

"Ah me? I just took over looking after you some few minutes ago. If you wanna thank someone, go thank Maizono-San. She was here since this place opened."

"Maizono-San?"

"Yup! Then afterwards, Ishimaru-Kun got all fired up about taking care of you and proposed that we all take turns. I just happened to be here when you woke up."

"I… I see… How long was I out?"

"You were out for a full day. That bear said that the game would be postponed until you woke up for the sake of 'fairness'. Anyways, Maizono-San has been with you for nearly the whole day. Fujisaki-San took over after she nearly fainted from exhaustion and now, here I am!"

"Oh man… I… I should apologize to Maizono-San…"

"Heeeey, don't worry about that. It wasn't your fault you ended up like this. I mean, I guess if anyone were to blame… blame me. I guess I did kinda… you know. Convince you to push that button."

"Ah right… the button… *groan* "

"I chucked it after I went back to the store yesterday so we won't be seeing that anymore. Don't worry. No one else is going to get hurt!"

"That's good to hear. I – We need to… huh?"

Makoto stopped talking when he finally realized why something felt off the entire time. He strangely felt much safer than when he was last conscious. Even though the bear's sick game announcement was still fresh in his mind, the fear of betrayal and being killed by one another has mysteriously vanished and replaced with a feeling of trust and safety.

"Hmm? Is something wrong?"

He turned his head to face the Fashionista. For a split second, he was able to see a girl with short black hair underneath the strawberry blonde pigtails, pinpoint every freckle that dusted the bridge of her nose, and also see the wolf tattoo on the back of her hand. He squinted at the wolf. Perhaps he may be imagining this, but he swore he could see the wolf calling to him, as if trying to tell him that everything he was looking for was right there despite being a static image embedded on flesh.

"Hey! Don't faint on me here!" Her voice brought him back to reality.

"Oh… sorry.. I felt as if… something just struck me…"

"Huh? Should I get Asahina-San? She's a swimmer right? So that means, she should know some first-aid…."

"Ah Thanks but… I-I don't think that will be necessary… Actually… d-do you mind if I ask you a weird question?"

"Uhhhmm… sure. What is it?"

"Ok. Um… we er… we haven't met before…. Right?"

Time seemed to stop when Mukuro registered the question. Her eyes widened as a wave of fear, excitement and confusion amongst other feelings hit her. Every inch of her body wanted to say yes and to embrace his return, but the fear of her sister's wrath kept her from doing so. She quickly recomposed herself as time started returning to normal and feigned laughter.

"Ahahahaha! Wha-What're you talking about? Is this your way of hitting on me? I mean, I may be a model but that doesn't mean I don't value my virginity!"

"What? No! I didn't mean to –"

"Of course you don't! You're obviously an herbivore man!"

"H-Herbivore?"

"Yea! You know, the submissive and innocent kinda type? Like you'd get all flustered if you so much got a peek if you know what I'm saying~"

"Wait, WHAT? Where is this going?"

"I'm just saying that, you need a carnivorous woman to look after you! Tee hee~"

"C-Carnivorous?"

"That means you should find someone who's aggressive and bold!"

"W-Why?"

"C'mon, lets be real. Someone like you probably wouldn't have the guts to make most of the moves sooo, it's better if you find someone that will, right?"

"Erm.. Enoshima-San… C-Can we change the topic?"

" *Sigh* Fine fine. Just don't come crawling back to me when you have girl problems."

"I.. That won't be necessary…"

"I'm joking! Alright. What do you want to talk about? Something bothering you? Your DVD?"

"Well.. Yeah… I mean I'm sure everyone is pretty shaken too but…. I just can't stop worrying myself.."

"So… what was in your DVD if you don't mind me asking?" Mukuro internally cringed upon asking this question. Though she didn't know what was in the DVD, she could easily guess its contents.

"Um.. My family. I mean, I'm sure we all had someone or something important in those DVDs, but I just don't know what I'd do if something happened to them. They've been my only support throughout my life…"

"Oh jeez. That sounds rough. What were they like?" It hurt Mukuro to ask this. She knew very well what his family was like, and to see him distraught over his family made her think if there were more than two people in her world. It wasn't until this moment that she realized she has also been quite fond of his family as well. Although, she felt slightly better knowing that they were only being held hostage in Towa City.

"Well, we were pretty much the average family you can find anywhere really. Mom was protective and understanding, Dad was strict in his own way but he's light hearted most of the time and my sister…. Well… She's a cry-baby but she's strong and independent in her own way as well." Makoto smiled as he told his account of his family, but it quickly faded as he continued.

"But after that DVD, I don't know anymore… I just.. feel lost…."

"Hmm, I think I get what you mean. My DVD showed my sister and she's the only family I got."

"Um, hey, you don't need to tell me what's on your DVD… if you don't feel comfortable…"

"Nah, it's fine. You told me yours, so it's only fair if I tell you mine too." At this point, Mukuro wasn't sure what she was doing anymore. She wasn't completely lying either since her DVD was actually a recording of her sister testing the serum on a reserve course student, but she kept going anyways.

"So, I got this sister of mine, and she's the only family I know. Don't ask, just know that I never knew my birth parents."

"Oh… I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry. Its fine. Anyways, we grew up on the streets too. Again, don't ask. It was a rough time for both of us, we were harassed by other homeless and I had to fight for resources." Mukuro turned to stare emptily at the wall. Makoto quietly listened as Mukuro told her tale in mechanical fashion of the homeless twins who fought homelessness and found themselves talent.

"… and so, that's where we are today. I..er my sister became a soldier and I'm a model. Though, it concerns me I don't know where she is, I'd like to believe she's fine."

Makoto watched her tell the story of her childhood the whole time. He didn't mind that she seemed like a different person talking, or the times she'd mix up the sisters when she brought it up. In fact, he didn't mind because this felt natural coming from her, as if she's trying to tell the story from another person's perspective. Makoto didn't object to this unnaturalness though, his brain was still quite exhausted from all that's happened. He said the only thing he could.

"I'm sorry."

"Hmm? For what?"

"Well… for kinda forcing you to tell me all that. I mean, because I told you what was on my DVD, I feel like that kind of obligated you to tell your story and, I didn't want you to tell the story just bec—"

"Hey hey, like I said, it's no big deal alright? Besides, I actually gotta thank you."

"Huh?"

"In return, if I ever decide to kill someone, I'll make sure it isn't you!"

That last statement should have raised a bunch of red flags inside Makoto's brain, but he simply brushed it off and spoke out of instinct:

"I see…. Thanks but… I still don't want you to kill anyone…"

Mukuro finally realized that she wasn't entirely acting anymore and stared wide eyed at Makoto. Thinking quickly, she feigned surprise and tried to play it off.

"Wha- I was joking! J-O-K-I-N-G! Joking! It was a joke!"

"O-Oh… sorry…"

"Oh nah, it's nothing! Let's just chalk it up as your exhaustion kicking in again!"

"Well, now that you mention it…. I still feel a bit drained…"

"Alright. You rest here now ok? I'm gonna go get the next guy to look after you so try and stay alive until then!"

"Ok. Bye Enoshima-San…"

Makoto watched as she stretched for a bit before leaving the room and then, it hit him again. He didn't see Junko Enoshima exit the room, but instead, he saw the same black haired, freckled girl that has been teasing his brain for a while. He wanted to cry out and ask her a question, but a sudden migraine caused him to slump back into the softness of the pillow. Before Makoto could attempt to recall her identity, a tone blasted throughout the room before Monokuma spoke.

"Ah, testing testing! Is this thing even on? Whatever, this is a school announcement!"

Though the voice belonged to Monokuma, Makoto had the faintest feeling that it also belonged to someone else.

"Now that Naegi-kun has awakened, all students must assemble in the gymnasium. Failure to do so will result in punishment!"

The more he thought, the more his head hurt. Makoto limped towards the gym with one hand clutching his hair, and the other using the wall for support. Step after step, he slowly followed the designated path before stumbling through the doors to the gymnasium.

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"Oh my gosh! Naegi-kun! Are you alright?"

Sayaka rushed to Makoto's side as soon as he entered the gym. He looked around the gym. The other thirteen students also seemed to be relieved in their own ways upon seeing his arrival. Although, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the SHSL Moral Compass was walking towards them.

"You're late Naegi-kun! Explain yourself!"

Mukuro winced at the question and was about to object before Sayaka beat her to it.

"Are you kidding me? He was sick for a whole day! What do you mean late?"

"Yea! Give him a break!" Aoi chimed in near the stage of the gym.

"It's fine guys… I was sleeping in the infirmary because I wasn't feeling well… could you put that on the class note for me?" Makoto sighed.

"Ah yes! Of course! You are completely excused Naegi-kun!" Kiyotaka happily replied, ignoring the upset comments from Sayaka and Aoi. Makoto smiled towards them, appreciating the gesture to which Aoi returned a thumbs up and a pat on the shoulder from Sayaka. Then all of a sudden, Celeste spoke from behind them, startling the two.

"Are you sure you haven't met before? Your response sound awfully used to his demands."

"Wha! I… oh. Huh?"

Shrugging off the surprise, Makoto realized that what she said was true. And then he realized, he also noticed how everyone else was slightly relieved when he entered the room and for as long as he could remember, he barely just met everyone. But the more he looked around, the more he saw the little details that showed on everyone.

Byakuya's fingers in his usual crossed-arms pose gripped the clothing a little more tight than usual, Kyouko tried to hide one hand that was bawled into a fist on the opposite side of her body and even Celeste had slight twitches in her otherwise neutral expression. Makoto's eyes widened upon seeing these details that would normally take years of friendship to notice.

"What the… how am I noticing these things?" He thought. He wanted to just chalk it off as him overthinking things but as he looked towards Touko and able to spot the outlines of the scissors under her skirt like he already knew it was there, he couldn't deny that these observations were second nature to him. Before Makoto could begin to fathom why, a monochrome bear popped up onto the podium and spoke.

"It seems everyone has arrived! Thank god I don't have to punish any of you idiots before the game starts!"

"Hey! Who're you calling an idiot?" Yasuhiro angrily shouted while pointing an accusatory finger towards the bear.

"Alright, so far, I have only explained half of the game to you kids…."

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

"…it's not as simple as just killing someone, you have to get away with it as well."

Monokuma began explaining the second part of the game: The body discovery announcement, the investigation, the class trial and the verdict. Makoto paid little attention to the explanation due to the pain and exhaustion so instead, he directed his attention to his classmates. The introduction of the class trial and investigation seemed to ease the majority of the students, since knowing that the killer also had to get away with the crime, would likely lessen the chances of a killing.

When Makoto looked over to Sayaka however, he could tell she was very distressed. She was trembling slightly and her eyes were also somewhat out-of-focus. When she caught his look, he immediately recognized the fake and practiced smile she sent his way, making Makoto feel very uncomfortable with this new information.

 _"N-No way… w-was she really planning to—"_ His thoughts were interrupted by a new voice that erupted from the student body.

"H-Hey! Wait a second!"

Makoto turned to the commotion, and saw Junko a few feet away from Monokuma with a raised fist.

"Everything you just said! That's messed up!"

"Huh? No it isn't. It's completely fair!"

"That's not what I meant!"

The Fashionista and the monochrome bear quickly got locked into a back and forth argument. Makoto felt a pulse go through his head and all of a sudden, the headache felt different. The more he watched the two go at it, the more he felt as if the whole thing was scripted.

He clutched the side of his head right after that thought entered his mind, feeling as if something has burst open and a rush of information came flowing in. He opened his eyes to try and focus on the situation happening in front of him, but instead, only grew to be more confused upon seeing the scene. His eyes may be seeing Junko Enoshima angrily stating her position towards the game, but his mind saw a different girl.

 _"M—Mu….Muk…"_ The syllables slowly formed in his mind.

 _"Muk…. Muku… Muku? Muku-!"_ His other hand shot up towards his head as another pop registered in his mind. Makoto tried to focus on the syllables that formed in his head, he could see the letters and the blank spaces as if he was playing hangman. Only four of the thirteen blanks were filled and yet, he could hear a familiar voice sing the first four letters.

 _"Muku~!"_ played over and over before he instinctively mouthed _"ro."_

 _"Muku…ro… Mukuro… Mukuro."_ The first set of blanks were filled, leaving one more set in his mind. Makoto's eyes turned to dinner plates when he opened them again, seeing Monokuma now wagging its finger towards Junko.

"If you don't cooperate in this game, I'm going to have to punish you!" It was saying. The word 'punish', left a sense of dread within Makoto. Another pop went off and he dropped to one knee, clutching his head in pain. Sayaka noticed this and immediately went to support him.

"N-Naegi-kun! Are you ok? Do you need help?" She urgently whispered, but Makoto didn't hear her at all, his mind too occupied with both the scene happening in front of them and his internal struggle.

 _"Mukuro… I-….I-… Ik…"_ The letters continued to slowly form, but the sense of urgency was becoming overwhelming from his body.

 _"Punish.. I'm going to have to punish you!"_ For an instance, Makoto saw multiple Monokumas on a street slaughtering everyone in their view. Then, he pictured Monokuma slashing the black haired girl that he has become familiar with and for a second, he felt as if he shared her pain. He opened his eyes the moment the claws made contact with girl, taking in a deep breath as if he was the one who was struck.

"Satisfied?"

This time, he saw Junko stomping her foot onto Monokuma. Every sense in his body told him that something dangerous was about to happen.

"That's what I should be asking you."

Makoto watched as Junko's shoulders slightly dropped and despite watching from behind her, he could see the confused expression on her face; it was one he had seen many times himself.

 _"Mukuro….Iku…."_ The letters continued to fade into the blanks, but there was no time left.

 _"She's in danger…. I have to do something…. I… have to save her…"_

The next thing Makoto registered was that he had stood up and started running towards the fashionista. Even though the girl looks like Junko, Makoto was now certain that she wasn't Junko. Sayaka fell backwards onto the floor from his sudden burst of movement.

"N-Naegi-kun!"

"Heed my call, O spear of legend, Gungnir! Come to thine master's aid!"

 _"Mukuro Ikusaba… I think that's a cool name!"_

"Mukuro! Look out!"

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Mukuro looked down at Monokuma in confusion. She has followed the script perfectly yet Junko was now saying things that wasn't in the plan. As far as she knew, she hasn't done anything wrong and now, she was too focussed on trying to process what was happening to register the footsteps rushing towards her.

"Heed my call, O spear of legend, Gungnir! Come to thine master's aid!"

"Huh?"

"Mukuro! Look out!"

"Wha—HMPH"

Everything became chaotic as Mukuro's instincts kicked in, slowing down time so she can process her surroundings. However, unlike all the other time her instincts were in effect, this time, she wasn't able to comprehend what was happening.

She had barely turned her body to the voice that had called her name, something that only Junko should have been able to do. The next thing she registered was the impact of a soft, smaller body, coming from the side and a blur of olive green and thin black lines. Her head wasn't oriented correctly to properly identify what had just collided with her but she felt something wet drip onto her face.

Mukuro now found herself looking at the ceiling of the gymnasium, her shoulders about to make contact with the ground. She saw a couple of spears now falling back towards the ground and her legs prevented her from identifying the green blur from earlier. The hard surface of the gym floor made contact and she slowly felt her body land in similar fashion. She immediately sat up to see what it was and her mind went blank upon identifying the object, or rather, person.

Makoto laid down face forward with his arms outstretched in a pool of blood. Her eyes quickly darted around and found the culprit: A solid black spear with blood coated along its entire length. There were bits of flesh on the tip as well, clearly indicating that it went straight through him. She could feel the blood draining from her face as she watched him struggle to lift his head so he could see her.

"M..Mukuro…? W-Why… are you… dressed like… Enoshima-san?"

"M-Makoto?"

"I'm….glad that… you're not hurt…. Mukuro…."

"N-no…No…No! NO! MAKOTO!"

…

…

…

…

…

 _"This…This wasn't supposed to happen…."_

…

…


	4. A New Beginning

Mukuro's mind was overwhelmed by emotions as she watched Makoto's life slowly drain from his body. She didn't realize it, but in the moment, her soldier instincts kicked in. Time slowed down to a trickle as thought after thought and emotion after emotion overwhelmed her mind.

 _…._

 _"I'm sorry Makoto.."_

 _…._

 _"If I ever decide to kill someone, I'll make sure it isn't you!"_

 _…._

 _"But you promised! You promised tha—" "… That I'd spare him from the killing? Oh I'm sorry Mukuro, I lied."_

 _…._

 _"You're…. too kind Makoto… Junko would kill you for that…"_

 _…._

 _"Makoto-kun… w-would you…. Hate me if I played a part in all this?"_

 _…._

 _"… the killings, the despair, we…. We're the masterminds"_

 _…._

 _"…. There's still a part of you who wants out…"_

 _…_

 _"I can't …. Disappoint Junko again… or…?_

 _…._

 _"Muku…ro…please... you…. Can still…turn….back…"_

 _…._

 _"I.. I can still turn back?"_

 _…_

 _"Did…Did I want any of this?"_

 _…._

 _"I… I…"_

She threw her head back and howled like a lone wolf grieving for the lost of its pack; the only two people in her life creating a rift inside of her. Without thinking, she crawled over to him and held him close, he was still miraculously conscious. The voices and commotion around her quickly blurred out of her attention.

"M…Mukuro…"

"S-S-Stop! D-Don't talk… Please.."

Mukuro tucked his head into her chest and buried her face into his hair, her tears once again falling down to stain his cheeks. Nothing else mattered to her in the moment, not until she noticed a particular voice talking.

"…. And She's the once who trapped you all here! Mukuro Ikusaba, your captive, your memory thief, and your mastermind! Puhuhuhu~"

She opened her tear stained eyes and turned to Monokuma in disbelief. Junko had just revealed her identity and what she had done. She stared into the bear, hoping for an explanation, or maybe a plan B she wasn't told of, but Junko continued.

"Of course that isn't Junko Enoshima! Check the back of her right hand! She has a tattoo hidden there by foundation! And that wig is probably fake too!"

The rest of the students as one, turned their eyes towards the soldier in disguise. Mukuro stared back at the bear, and for a second, she could see the smiling face of her sister behind the black and white surface of the puppet she so loved. It sank Mukuro's mind deeper into the depths of despair.

 _"Junko…. Why?"_ She asked herself. She kept trying to figure out where did everything go wrong. She followed her instructions perfectly. Everything was going as planned, until Makoto saved her from death.

 _"Makoto saved me… so Junko tried to kill me?"_ It seemed like an impossible thought, but the more she processed it, the more the facts made sense to her.

 _"Junko… tried to kill me… Me. I could have… died.._

 _…._

 _It… could have been me…_

 _…_

 _No.. It should have been me…_

 _…._

 _Why? Why would she—!_

 _…_

 _Of course. I-It makes sense now._

 _…_

 _You just wanted despair right Junko? You always said it feels good…but I'm sorry I don't feel the same._

 _…_

 _Despair….. you want despair?_

 _…_

 _I think…. I think I know… how you can despair Junko."_

"… So if I were you guys, I'd capture her and kill her right now!"

"Hold it, how do we know if you're lying or not?" Byakuya sneered.

"Like I said! Check her right hand or her hair you idiot! Did you not hear me the first time?"

"Hey, watch your mouth! After all of this, I'm coming after you next."

"S-So… we just gotta check her identity right?" Sayaka asked.

"N-no. That won't be necessary." Mukuro managed to squeeze out through her gritted teeth.

She gently laid Makoto's head onto his arm before standing up and ripped the wig off her head, revealing the short black hair that hid underneath. She looked down at her hands and hesitated for a second before wiping off the foundation that concealed the Fenrir tattoo and showing it to everyone.

"My name, is Mukuro Ikusaba, SHSL Soldier, and partly responsible for everyone being imprisoned here."

A wave a mixed reactions swept through her classmates. Mukuro felt everyone's eyes watching her, each with their own reactions and feelings behind them. She could sense the confusion, the hatred, and the shock but she didn't know how to follow up on it. Her focus on her surroundings faded out as all she could feel right now is ever-growing hole in her heart from the betrayal of her sister and Makoto saving her. She has dealt with traitors within Fenrir before, it was simple: Kill them. But in her current situation, that wasn't possible because in everyone else's eyes, she was the traitor. Unless she was the SHSL Diplomat, there was no way for her to convince everyone that she was no longer working against them. When she returned her attention to her surroundings, she felt something bubbling inside of her as she registered what Monokuma was saying.

"That's right! She's the one to blame for trapping you all here and forcing you guys to kill each other!"

She clenched her fist as Monokuma continued to spit out encouragements for her classmates to lynch her. Mukuro never wanted to admit it, but she now understood that Junko had been using her this entire time. It was the ultimate betrayal after everything she had done for her twin sister. She has always been taught not to get carried away with her emotions, but right now, Mukuro couldn't contain the rage that has been building up the whole time.

"S-Shut up Junko…"

"Hmm? What was that? Are you admitting defeat now?"

"I said, SHUT UP JUNKO!"

The sudden outburst from the soldier silenced everyone in the gymnasium. Even Monokuma flinched at the unexpected explosion of rage before turning around and said:

"Alrighty! I think it's best to leave you children alone for a while. The headmaster needs a break!"

Mukuro watched Monokuma waddle away and disappear from the gym. She let out a breath of relief as the source of her anger had temporarily disappeared from the scene. However, as she turned around to face Makoto, she felt the eyes of everyone else on her. She realized that everyone had been watching her since the beginning and the fear and doubt in their expressions were still there. Mukuro internally panicked at her realization. Fighting was her strength, not diplomacy. She had never needed to talk her way out of things before so she didn't even know where to start. In an attempt to subdue her panic, she cast her eyes towards the boy still on the ground bleeding. She couldn't get him out of here right now, not with the chance that Sakura could intercept her.

 _"Makoto… What… What do I do?"_ She mentally addressed the question to the unconscious boy, expecting him to lift his head with a smile and an answer. She looked around, her classmates had formed a circle around her but kept their distance. They were discussing what to do with her while trying not to provoke someone who had just introduced themselves as the ultimate soldier.

"I-I say we tie her up! T-There's n-no telling w-what she'd do with us n-next!"

"W-Wait! W-What if she's with us? I-I mean she could be helping us!"

"Use your brain for once will you? Do you really think she is trustworthy? For all we know, she has just admitted to capturing and trapping us here. It could be another part of her plans."

Mukuro's eyes returned to Makoto's body, his breathing has slowed down drastically since he has been hit with the spear. She could picture his shining smile looking back at her as if lighting the path she should follow. She had always tried to fight her way out of situations, and he would always remind her that fighting wasn't the only solution to everything.

 _"Makoto… what…. Should I do?"_ She asked again. This time, his smile grew brighter, and his lips started moving. It was another thing he had always told her to do.

 _"Just tell the truth!"_ She read. Mukuro dipped her head and gave the slightest smile at the answer. It was a simple one, yet it seemed to have made everything clear to her in that moment. She looked at her clenched fists, and for once, maybe she didn't need to fight her way out of this situation. She calmly moved to pick up Makoto in a bridal carry, alarming everyone else in the process.

"Hey. What do you think you're doing?" Byakuya shot at her.

"I assume we all agree that he requires immediate medical attention due to his… injury.. Don't worry. I'm simply taking him to the infirmary and I'm sure you all want some answers as well. We can talk there. If I try anything suspicious, Oogami-San is more than enough to stop me." Mukuro explained.

"That sounds reasonable. I am willing to cooperate with that." Sakura agreed.

"W-Wait! Isn't she.. still suspicious? Are we really going to let her do that?" Sayaka cried.

"Do you have the medical skills necessary to ensure his survival? I doubt even Asahina-san has the first-aid knowledge necessary to treat such a wound. I believe I'm the most qualified to tend to his injuries given my history as a soldier." Mukuro calmly replied.

"Hey, what about the bear?" Leon asked.

His answer came in the form of Mukuro kicking a spear into the security camera by the door, shattering it into pieces.

"That shouldn't be a problem."

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After smashing every camera on their way to the infirmary, Mukuro went to work on Makoto while everyone else watched her carefully. When she had just finished and placed a blanket over him to preserve body heat, Byakuya impatiently shot out:

"Alright. Now explain yourself."

Mukuro turned around and leaned herself against the wall beside the bed. She crossed her arms and took a breath.

"Ok. Where do I start?"

"With everything." Byakuya growled.

"You'll have to be more specific than that."

"How about starting with us. What happened to us when we all entered the academy?" Kyouko suggested.

"Hmm… Alright. Before I begin however, I advise you all to brace yourselves and to not interrupt me until I finish. I'll answer any questions after my explanation."

"Feh. Get started then."

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Makoto opened his eyes. He was surprised to find that he was no longer in the gymnasium, but in a dark room. Then, the room lit up and he felt as if he was floating inside a virtual world. It was cold, and Makoto felt really light as he adjusted to floating around. He looked all around him, his memories plastered in frames across the entire surface of the room. A sudden realization caused his hand to move towards the spot the spear had struck him.

" _Am I dead?"_ He thought as he felt no pain from his injury. The snapshots of his memories started shifting and voices began echoing throughout the room. Makoto tried to focus on the voices, but due to the echoes, it was hard to decipher what they were actually saying. A frame containing several people floated past him. Although their bodies seemed to be very familiar, he still squinted to try and make out their identities. It didn't surprise him when he finally identified them as his family, in fact, the snapshot made him remember some details of that specific day as well. He smiled at the picture as it brought warm feelings to his heart.

The picture drifted off and another took its place. This time, it looked like a class photo, people of all different sizes were packed close together facing the camera. As he squinted his eyes towards the different people, he was able to make out the individuals in the photo. Touko Fukawa, Byakuya Togami, Celestia Ludenburg, Mondo Owada, he continued to identify every face in the photo starting from the outside working his way to the center until he found himself staring at Mukuro. She sat with a straight back next to him, her fists resting gently on her knees and wearing a small smile. It stirred more warm feelings within himself and caused his face to heat up.

 _"That's right… we were…. Dating…"_ He thought.

Then as if on command, the memories around him shifted to be more focussed on himself and Mukuro. Shot after shot with them as the focus floated past him and Makoto remembered what happened every time. Memory after memory of Mukuro saving him from his luck, various dates they've went on, the different class outings they both attended, all of which he was able to completely recall.

The focus of his memories changed again, and this time, it hit him hard. A series of snapshots of the tragedy and the ruined world floated past him, followed by his class barricading the old school building. It was hard to take in everything he saw even though he already had glimpses of these events before. Makoto forced himself to watch everything: the destruction, the torture, the unnecessary deaths and the despair. The next memory ripped a hole in his heart: Mukuro holding the syringe. The countless frames of memories around him froze as Mukuro's confession played out in front of him.

Then everything went dark and silent; all the memory frames shut down, leaving Makoto in a world of darkness. However, he didn't need them anymore. He already knows what has happened since waking up in the classroom. Suddenly, voices started echoing the room again. Although he couldn't see what was happening, this time, he was able to make out what was being said.

"So… What do we do with him now?" A female voice asked.

"Obviously we wait for him to wake up. There's nothing we can do after she left." A male voice answered.

 _"_ _She? That… must be Mukuro…What's going on?"_ Makoto thought.

"D-Do you think she's going to come after us again?"

"I doubt it. At least, not now. She does not seem like someone who would go back on their word."

"Then… do you think she'll be fine?"

"I think its best to wait for him to wake up first before deciding our next move."

 _"So.. I'm alive? I… need to get back to them…"_

Makoto no longer felt cold in the darkness and tried to move but he felt as if he was bound by something. His body went stiff and unresponsive to his commands as he willed himself to wriggle free. The more he struggled, the more he could slowly feel his body and his surroundings again. The voices also became more clear as he continued to fight for control.

"Umm… guys? I.. I think I just saw him move…"

"Don't be ridiculous. She said he wasn't going to wake for a couple hours."

"Funny how you believe that statement coming from her despite being openly against trusting her."

"Shut up."

Makoto continued his fight over control of his body. Little by little, he began to feel more alive. He could feel his chest rise and fall from his breaths again, and that he was also laying on something soft. The pain in his side has returned and his heart beating in a slow steady rhythm. He felt the warmth of a blanket over his body, something was attached to his arm and his head half buried into another soft surface. The darkness around him slowly dissolved into bright light as he tried to open his eyes.

"Guys… I definitely saw him move this time…"

"Hagakure-kun, I ask that you stop with your unnecessary lies right now!"

"Woah simmer down bushy-brows, I think he might be right this time…"

"B-Bushy-Brows? What are you—"

"Hey! Keep it down ok? He's waking!"

"N-Naegi-kun! Can you hear me?"

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Mukuro broke into the infirmary upon hearing news that Makoto has awakened. She was just outside the room when she overheard talk of him waking up. Upon bursting through the doors, she saw that the entire class has now huddled around the bed he was resting on. They turned to face her when they heard the doors swung open and Sakura almost moved to intercept her just in case she turned out to be a Monokuma bot. Mukuro made her way through the crowd and stood next to the bed. Though Makoto's eyes were barely open and his breaths were still weak, he was definitely conscious. She let out a breath of relief upon confirming that his condition was stable. The rest of the class however, had different priorities.

"W-Wait… W-What happened to you?" Chihiro asked, noticing the ashes and light burns that were scattered across her body. There was also a cut mark on her left sleeve but no blood was present. Mukuro looked like she just walked through a battlefield and came back unharmed.

"I… I had a chat with my sister." She replied.

"That doesn't explain anything. We still have no reason to believe you or your accomplice over there." Byakuya said.

"He-He's innocent! L-Look, like I said before, all the photographs and evidence are hidden by Junko and I couldn't find them when I went to see her." Mukuro tried to explain.

"That's still very poor reasoning for us to believe you. For all we know, this could still be a part of your grand plan." Celeste added.

"I-I'm trying to help you!" She cried.

"T-there's no telling what you'd d-do to us next! F-F-First you t-take away our memories…. Then what? I-I bet there's s-some way for you to take over our bodies next!" Touko said.

"N-No! Tha-That's not even possible!" Mukuro shot back.

"According to you, you've already stolen our memories. Putting that into consideration, I'd say its reasonable to think you'd have the ability to do so." Celeste continued.

Mukuro felt as though she was backed into a corner. She looked at the rest of the students, hoping for someone who did believe her, but all she saw were eyes of suspicion and fear. Despite that however, a voice spoke up from the back.

"Um.. I think this might sound dumb but…if you weren't lying about us being classmates for two years.. then you should know things about us that we told you or something right? I mean, I want to believe you… and in a way, you know more about us than we do… wait… that sounded dumb…" Aoi thought.

"Hold on, there is some merit to that. If we are to believe your words that we were all close once, then you should know some of our secrets that we would only tell to someone we trusted. You must have at least befriended a few of us correct?" Sakura elaborated.

Mukuro thought for a second before dipping her head in shame. Two years of being classmates with everyone and she only managed to be close to Junko and Makoto. When Sakura put it like that, even she found it disappointing.

"I… Actually.. I was.. an outcast." She slowly replied. "I was only close with Makoto and Junko…"

Sayaka's eye's widened at her words. "M-Makoto? Y-You mean Naegi-kun? Y-You two are….?"

The soldier recoiled at her slipup. There was no taking it back since everyone was listening when Sayaka pointed it out. She clenched her fists, and through her gritted teeth she muttered:

"..Y-Yeah…"

Sayaka's eyes fell to the floor as her suspicions were confirmed.

"I..I see…"

"Alright, Enough of this. You still haven't provided any reason for us to trust you." Byakuya interrupted.

"T-That's right! I-I say we tie her up and k-kill her!" Touko added.

"That won't be necessary, but I do believe putting you in custody for now is the best course of action." Sakura said.

"So in the end, you betrayed us by trapping us and putting us here. And now, you're betraying your own sister by claiming to be helping us. You're nothing but a traitor and we have no reason to believe you even if you were speaking the truth." Byakuya continued.

"No… That's Wrong!" A weak voice forced out.

Everyone turned to the source of the sudden objection: the boy lying on the bed who had been observing the whole commotion and had finally gathered the strength to speak. Mukuro looked over to him in shock, not expecting him to have recover that fast after such a short time. His eyes were full of determination and although his voice was weak, there was a strong resolve behind it.

"She's.. not a traitor! And … everything she's said… was the truth. We've been classmates… for two years already… and we did… barricade ourselves in here." Makoto continued.

"Again, there's no proof of that. You're either spouting nonsense or you're her accomplice." Byakuya reiterated.

"I.. I can prove it…" Makoto breathed out.

"M-Makoto.." Mukuro started, concerned about his injury.

"Don't worry Mukuro… I.. I think I got this.. Trust me.. on this one.." He flashed the same smile he has given every other time.

"A-Alright." Mukuro said. She sat down next to Makoto on the bed and watched Makoto take over.

"So… Oogami-San, you said if we were friends…. Then we'd know some things about each other… right?"

"That's correct."

"Ok… Starting with you… how about a name that you quote… "locked in your heart"? If you don't want me to say it out loud… I can whisper it to you."

"Tha..That shouldn't be possible! What's their name?"

"Kenichiro-kun… I believe you two still have a promise to uphold as well.."

"Y-You know of our promise?"

"Yeah… you told me.. er, you told everyone here.. "

"…" Sakura stood in silence and thought about what Makoto has just revealed. In the end, she nodded and declared:

"Alright. I shall place my faith in Naegi-kun and Ikusaba-san."

"What? Really?" Aoi asked.

"Tch, that could've been information found on the internet. After all—" Togami started to refute but Sakura interrupted him.

"No, its not possible to find on the internet. This man, Kenichiro-kun and and I have only met in private. That promise was also made during our private meetings so it would be impossible for him to know unless one of us has told him." Sakura explained.

"Togami-kun, I think there's something I can say to convince you… but you'll probably prefer it not to be said aloud…" Makoto suggested

"Hmph. I doubt it. But I will entertain your useless attempt regardless."

Mukuro watched Byakuya make his way over to the bed and leaned in so Makoto could whisper in his ear. She saw Byakuya's eye widen as Makoto whispered his secret to him.

"T-There's no way you could have that kind of information! Tell me, who told you this?"

"I-It was you Togami-kun…"

"L-Lies! I would've never –"

"W-wait! What can you tell about me?" Aoi interrupted, which in turn, also sparked interest from the rest of the class. Makoto began to retell their school encounters one by one, whispering to those who preferred the privacy and sharing the others. Halfway through his speech however, Mukuro had to apply another bandage on top of the original since blood started seeping through. Although, that never stopped him from talking. It was amazing for Mukuro to watch Makoto go on with a smile on his face while enduring the pain and telling his stories one after another. _"He really is stronger than he looks…"_ Mukuro noted.

By the end of Makoto's story telling, all of the students have finally accepted their current situation. Some of them were shaken when they realized that the outside world was actually in shambles and that Mukuro wasn't lying about the despair that has been happening. However, she was the only variable left out of the entire situation that they weren't sure of.

"Alright. That leaves us with her. What should we do with her?" Celeste proposed.

"W-What do you mean?" Makoto asked.

"She was the one who knocked us out and tried to get us to kill each other. She herself confirmed that. But as we know, she's betrayed us by following along with her sister's plan, and she's betrayed her sister by helping us. Who's to say she won't betray us again?" Celeste explained.

"I-I don't think she'll do that again…" Makoto tried to defend her.

"However, the possibility is still there. We don't know if she will or will not betray someone again and we also don't know what her agenda is." Kyouko added.

"Guys… I'm sure she's—"

"It's fine Makoto. Their accusations are fair against me. So far, I've proven nothing but betrayal to everyone here and my sister." Mukuro said.

"M-Mukuro!" Makoto cried.

"But I will say that I don't intend to plot against you guys anymore. I never knew what I fought for, I simply fought for the sake of fighting. Now, I think I have an idea as to why people fight, and I'd like to think I'm close to finding my own answer for fighting." Mukuro continued.

"So you're basically saying you're still lost." Byakuya said

"Perhaps I am Togami-kun. But someone taught me that whether I find the answer or not isn't as important as giving it a try. I'm looking to make amends… and maybe… a new start." Mukuro replied as she looked towards Makoto.

"Mukuro…" Makoto smiled. Despite his obvious pain, he managed to still provide the brightest smile he has ever produced in his years of Hope's Peak Academy. Mukuro smiled back and squeezed his hand at the sentiment. She closed her eyes and thought about what she just said.

It was true that in her time with Fenrir, she fought and killed because it felt natural to her. She didn't need a purpose, she just needed some poor targets that needed to be eliminated and she would get the job done. Mukuro knew full well that if she was from the other side, she'd show Fenrir no mercy as long as they were the designated targets.

Then came Junko and her tragedy. She's been given mission after mission by Junko, to which she has executed all of them flawlessly, until recent events. At first, it felt justified since she was doing it for the sake of her sister. Mukuro has seen countless number of people beg for mercy from Junko's methods, she didn't really care then. However, Mukuro began to see things differently during her time at Hope's Peak.

It was all Makoto's fault, and she has yet to thank him for that. He was the first person that wasn't Junko to have sparked her interests. His optimism and honest nature opened her eyes to many things in the world that she has never considered before and he has shown her and taught her many things in life that she would've never known if she stayed with Junko. So when Junko decided to cause the fall of Hope's Peak Academy, Mukuro was conflicted. Unlike with the other victims she has seen before Hope's Peak Academy, she started to feel certain things while Junko planted her seed of despair in the school. It started to feel wrong and Mukuro often left Junko alone to do the torturing unless explicitly told to do it herself. Her sense of guilt started piling up until a few nights prior where she couldn't contain it anymore.

"GAH! Y-You two stop that disgusting act r-right now! Y-You're going to make me puke!" Touko exploded, causing both Mukuro and Makoto to blush.

"Oh.. ahh.. sorry!" Makoto apologized.

"Tch, if you two are done, then enlighten us on our next move. We're still stuck here." Byakuya said.

"Ah, that… I can manage." Mukuro said. "I almost forgot about this."

She dug into her pocket and produced another controller of sorts. It was similar to the one Makoto got from the Monomono machine except its silver, much bigger, and there are multiple buttons on the surface.

"I-Is that what I think it is?" Makoto asked.

"Yes. It's the real thing." Mukuro answered.

"I-It looks like a controller of sorts.." Chihiro started.

"That's correct. This controller directly controls all the newly installed doors and mechanisms in this building as well as the defense system." Mukuro explained.

"Defense system?" Chihiro asked.

"Yes. There's the turrets by the main entrance hall and outside the building, there's another turret outside the change rooms to the swimming pool, the cameras and the air filtration system."

"So, it would be able to open the giant door in the entrance hall then." Kyouko said.

"Yes. Oh and there is also one more thing I managed to retrieve from Junko."

Mukuro then pulled out a small belt of syringes. Makoto recognized these syringes as the same one Mukuro used on him, although they all had different initials on them.

"These… are your memories. Whether you want them back or not is up to you so I'll be letting you hold on to your own. If you want them back, you'll need my help however, since these need to be injected into a specific spot on the back of your neck." Mukuro explained.

"You're asking us… to trust you with a needle that you claim to restore our memories?" Mondo asked.

"Well… to be fair… I've done it once already.. against all your wills." Mukuro replied.

"A-Ah! W-what she meant to s-say was that she is the only one who knows how to use them properly!" Makoto interjected.

"Look, I've told nothing but the truth since I gathered you all in here. And again, the final choice is yours. If you're not comfortable with me doing it, I'm confident enough that I can guide another person to do it for you." Mukuro said.

"Alright alright! I get it." Mondo said as he grabbed his syringe and backed off.

"Hmm" Celeste hummed as she looked at her syringe. "Wouldn't your sister be quite displeased if she found out what you've done?"

"Oh Junko? Don't worry. She won't be waking up for a few hours." Mukuro shrugged.

"Y-You what?" Makoto cried.

"Hey, when I got to her, she was already wallowing in despair over the fact that I turned against her. I just did her a favour and knocked her out and tied her up. She'll wake up in a few hours, and it'll take her a few more minutes to undo the knots I tied." Mukuro explained.

"A-Are you sure you're okay with that?" Makoto asked with concern. "I mean, she is your sister and all… and I think leaving her behind isn't that great of an idea.."

"I'll come back and get her once I figure out how to deal with her." Mukuro answered with conviction. "One day, Junko… I promise I'll come back for you"

"O-Okay. If you're fine with that" Makoto replied.

"Alright then. Let's go. Grab what you think you'll need before we leave. I'll meet you all at the entrance hall in fifteen minutes." Mukuro said.

The rest of the class seemed content with the notion that they were leaving soon and slowly left the infirmary one by one, eventually leaving the lucky student and the soldier alone.

"There's something bothering you." Makoto stated with concern which caused Mukuro to visibly flinch. She went into a cycle of opening her mouth as if to say something, then deciding not to say it before finally sighing and spoke.

"W-well… It's Junko. I don't know what I'm feeling… I'm just.. not sure.." She started.

"Say, what did happen between you two?"

"I-It's complicated…"

"I'm listening."

"Umm.. Ok. Well, how do I put this… I think… throughout the time I was with Junko.. deep down somewhere, I think I never wanted this… and that maybe, if I didn't join Fenrir… Junko might've not turned out like this either.. I guess.. I'm regretting some of the choices I made in the past.."

"Hey well, everyone makes mistakes…"

"Yeah.. but there's more. A-After you happened… I-Uh.. you made me think about some things… and I g-guess I also made up my mind on those things… So sometime after that.. I didn't want to admit it then, but I f-felt that maybe, Junko was wrong. Its weird, and difficult that.. you looked up to someone all your life… then one day think they're wrong.."

Makoto silently watched as Mukuro dipped her head and continued talking.

"..So I guess that… this whole time.. I didn't entirely trust Junko.. I didn't give her the support I was supposed to.. so I uhh… hid this remote away from her.. To be honest, I stashed it in your room before installing the cameras there."

"W-What? Where did you hide it? I'm sure I looked through all the drawers and everything.."

"It was strapped to the underside of your bed.. And I couldn't get it if Junko was watching.. so I went and visited her first."

"She didn't try to stop you?"

"Well I did had to fight my way to her, however, there were only so many Monokuma bots Junko could have stored in here as backups, and she couldn't open the main gate for more due to the chance that one of us could have walked by… and when I did reach her, she was well.. despairing already."

"A-And then you knocked her out?"

"I.. couldn't see her like that anymore… I used to think that she was just special like that… but now.. it's different… I guess it almost disgusts me… I don't know how I could've done the stuff I did back then.."

"Well, hey, come on. You're trying to fix it now right? I think I said it before, but it's not too late to turn around."

"Indeed you did…and I.. Thank you for that…"

"*Chuckle* Ok. I think we should get ready to leave as well. Wouldn't be good if we kept everyone waiting."

"Sounds good. I'll see you in a bit."

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A few minutes later, the fifteen students stood in front of the heavily armoured metal gate. The turrets next to the gate has been deactivated and folded themselves back onto the ceiling. Makoto stood at the front of the group next to Mukuro with an improvised crutch. He looked back towards everyone else, seeing a mix of fear, anticipation, and determination amongst other emotions. It was oddly quiet for what used to be a lively class.

"I-Is everyone good to go?" He asked. When everyone else gave their approval, he turned and nodded towards Mukuro who was holding the controller. Her finger was just about to press the button when she stopped herself and handed the controller to Makoto instead.

"Here. I think you should do it." She said.

"M-Me? I.. don't think it makes a difference."

"You were the one who pulled everyone together Makoto… and besides, you were also the class representative so… I think you're more qualified for this than I am."

"W-Well… if you put it like that… I guess so…" He turned around again. "Er.. Any objections?"

When he didn't a response from everyone, he turned to face the gate, took a breath and pressed the button.

"Alright, then I guess this is graduation."

An alarm started sounded and the mechanisms on the door started moving. The huge metal door slowly unlocked itself and in the process, produced a lot of hissing and the sounds of metal grinding on each other. As it slowly opened, the students were temporarily blinded by the natural light of the outside world, and it took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust.

When they finally processed what they saw beyond the metal door, they were speechless as to how different the world has become. It seemed as if the world has ended in just a few days, and even the more calm and collected students looked a little shaken from the drastic change in environment.

The students had barely made their first steps into the open world when suddenly, an object came flying out of nowhere towards the group.

"Woah! Look out!" Leon pointed and cried out as soon as he registered the object as a javelin.

By the time everyone had reacted to Leon's warning, Mukuro had already leaped into the air and intercepted it just before it was going to collide with Chihiro. When she landed, the group had finally noticed the other group of people across the block, and they were all wearing Monokuma masks.

"Wha-Who're are they?" Sayaka asked in fear.

"They're…. despair." Mukuro answered. "Those masks brainwash those who wear them, allowing Junko to directly control them as she wishes."

Another javelin came flying through the air but this time, Mukuro used the one she intercepted with to bat it away. She analyzed the group of brainwashed people in front of her. "Hmmm… One hundred forty two hostiles… no fire arms and no more ranged projectiles…" She thought.

"I-Is there anyway to talk it out with them?" Makoto asked nervously.

"No. Not a chance. Junko wouldn't have allowed that. They basically only know how to torture, kill and destroy. Don't try to reason with them." Mukuro replied.

"W-Wait! Y-You're not going to kill them are you?" Makoto cried.

"Don't worry. I won't kill them." Mukuro stated as she slowly walked towards the group. She eyed the ones in the front who looked excited at the chance to slaughter more people.

"Hey Oogami-San! Take care of anyone who gets past me!" She ordered before beginning her charge towards the group of despairs. Sakura nodded and positioned herself in between Mukuro and the students.

"Very well. Stand behind me everyone, I'll make sure no harm shall come to you." Mukuro heard her say.

Like any other battle, her soldier instincts kicked in, slowing down time around her as she began to process and move faster than the normal human being. She smiled as she got back into her comfort zone, except it was a little warmer this time. As she closed her eyes mid blink, she recalled all the times she has fought. The streets when she was but a child, the battlefields that Fenrir has sent her to, the different security guards and private military personnel that Junko had her remove. Every ounce of her body then simply killed for the sake of killing. She didn't feel anything when she had ended the countless number of lives then. There was no sense of purpose, joy or remorse in her entire career as a soldier. But now, it was different. There was a motivation inside of her that she couldn't explain, but understood. There was a sense of purpose and for once, she can anticipate the feeling of accomplishing something.

She blinked again as the distance between her and the group of despairs continued to close; the image of Makoto's bright smile flashed before her. It was all the motivation she needed for now. The once emotionless soldier now charged into battle with both a purpose and a smile on her face. She now understood what it means to be a soldier; what it means to protect something, and so for the first time, she didn't fight without a purpose; she fought with her heart.

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Author's Notes

Hello Readers!

I'd like to first say that, I don't particularly feel 100% satisfied with this ending and I feel the whatever I planned original was infinitely better. But I didn't want to leave this around any longer than it should. School has started and I don't think making multi-chaptered fics in the middle of school is a good idea. (I'm also a... slow writer...)

So, with that said, I'll be writing shorts for a while and I'm looking to branch out from Naekusaba content.

Also, a couple things I guess I should get out:  
1) Requests: So I've gotten a couple messages over from you guys asking if I took requests or not and if there were rules behind them. To be honest, I haven't exactly planned to take requests, but I'm down to hear your ideas and give them proper thought before dismissing them. However, here are things that I don't find myself writing:  
Lemon, Gender-Bending, Yaoi, Cross-overs and nothing too OOC. (I have nothing against them, I'm just not comfortable writing them and I prefer the characters to be themselves as much as possible)  
And the stuff that I planned to write:  
More Naekusaba, Naegiri, Naezono, NaeJunko, Hinatsumi (Kuzuryuu N.), Hinazumi (Koizumi) and maybe Hinabuki (Ibuki)

I guess you can for now, comment on the chapter for requests or send me a message over at if you value the privacy.

2)A small thing: If anyone here is familiar with 's document system, and knows an efficient way to copy-paste my stories over there without losing the formatting and getting a bunch of code when I paste it in, please teach me D:


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